When harvesting grain, a combine harvester (also known simply as a “combine”) may be used to separate grain from material-other-than-grain (“MOG”). Harvested grain is typically stored on the combine for subsequent handling, and MOG is typically ejected back onto the crop field.
In some cases, the MOG may be useful as feed for animals or as biofuel, among other things. Thus, once the crop has been harvested and the MOG is left on the field, a rake (e.g., a basket rake) may be moved through the field to rake and windrow the MOG. In the case of corn, for example, stover that is dispersed throughout the field may be raked and placed in windrows on the ground that can later be gathered and formed into bales of the material for subsequent use.
In other cases, crops such as switch grass, miscanthus, sugar cane, or other vegetative crops may be grown for use as biofuel. In such cases, the field may be mowed, raked, and windrowed, and the windrows of material (which, for example, may include the whole plant—both grain and MOG) may be baled for subsequent transport and processing.
In either scenario, raking the material into windrows and subsequently baling the material typically requires a dedicated tractor and operator for each machine, which may add to the expense and duration of the operations. In addition, depending on the size of the field, several passes may be required to address the entire area to be raked and baled.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a system, apparatus, and method for combining the raking and baling operations such that the operations may occur during a single pass. In addition, there is a need for an improved mechanism for raking and baling a larger area while minimizing the complexity of transporting the equipment to the field location.